In general, but also for Pacific Northwest North America and Western Europe - ENJOY April is the month to enjoy the flowers of those bulbs you planted last fall. PICK If the colour of your tulips clashes with the colour of flowering shrubs, pick them fast and put them in the house. Let's not offend sensitive passersby. PROP If you want to collect the seed of your early flowering bulbs, like snowdrops and scillas, for your own use or to donate to seed exchanges, now is the time to prop them up as the weight of the developing seed causes the stem to bend and deposit the seedpod on the ground. Once they're down, they are out of sight and forgotten, and the seed doesn't get collected. I use bamboo skewers (sold for making shishkebab) and a couple of wire twisties to hold the stems upright. FERTILIZE Fertilize any bulbs that still have green leaves with something like 6-10-10 as they are storing nutrients for next year. Crocus and other corms must replace the corm each year. BUY The garden centres are full of packages of summer bulbs with glorious colour photos. In the interests of research, I went to a local one today, with a pencil and notebook. Somehow I emerged with nothing written down, but a box full of bulb packages. PLANT Dahlia cuttings can be rooted if tubers were started indoors earlier. They can be started indoors now and planted out when in growth, or planted directly outside when the weather and soil are warm. Summer flowering bulbs can be planted. It's a good idea to stagger the times of planting so you will have flowers over a longer season. Anemone coronaria, callas, crocosmia, gladiolus, ranunculus, tigridia. Northern California (and southern Europe?) - In addition to the above, canna and dahlias can be planted. Southern California, low desert through to Texas (and Mediterranean?) - In addition to the above, Caladium, Canna and Crinum can be planted when the soil has warmed to 18 C (65 F). Rocky Mountain areas - start begonias, caladiums, callas, cannas, dahlias, gladiolus in pots on a sunny windowsill to plant out after all danger of frost is past.